Team Kenya participation in the just concluded Rio Olympics 2016 was marred with many questionable doubts signaling holes in preparation and coordination of the activities.
Shocking details on mismanagement of the team and funds continue emerging with National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) saying that they paid for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s accommodation despite announcing that he was not travelling to Brazil.
When handing the lag to Team Kenya, Kenyatta wished the players the best and assured them that they will be having his support right from Kenya.
Stephen Arap Soi said that the committee made an earlier booking of a room by paying Ksh 2.1 million for the Presidential accommodation.
According to Soi when he appeared before Labor Committee of the National Assembly, three more rooms were paid for in a cruise ship for President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto.
The cost of accommodation on a daily basis was rated $605 per person. Soi reported that $ 564 per day was paid by NOCK for the chairman of the Senate Committee for 18 days.
“The International Olympics Committee (IOC) had organized for the Presidents to be booked on that cruise ship but it was the duty of NOCK to organize for the accommodation, so we paid the money in advance for the rooms in full from our accounts then asked for a refund from the Ministry of Sports. For us to secure the rooms, we had to do it early,” said a seemingly upset Kipchoge.
Soi, however, refuted claims that he used taxpayers’ money to pay a ticket for his wife saying that she accompanied him to celebrate his birthday with him, and the cost of ticket and accommodation for his wife was on him.